Worrying stumble
Hanoi FC started the 2025-2026 season with a defeat against Ho Chi Minh City Police at Thong Nhat.
Optimistic fans may think that Hanoi FC lost because the opponent's goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang played so well. But most fans shared the same concern after witnessing the performance of the Capital team on the opening day.
During the time Hanoi FC failed, the competitors for the championship all had positive results. Nam Dinh beat Hai Phong, Ninh Binh defeated Hong Linh Ha Tinh, Cong An Ha Noi and The Cong Viettel shared points.
On the other hand, fans have not seen Hanoi FC show much against Ho Chi Minh City Police. Concerns about the team's personnel preparation in the summer transfer window are present. Hendrio - the fastest quality and integrated contract with Hanoi FC is not eligible to play as a Vietnamese player of foreign origin (national player).
Many opinions are skeptical about the possibility of successfully registering Hendrio in the above category, especially when in the first round, some players with similar backgrounds such as Rimario and Geovane were registered by the club for foreign players instead of waiting patiently.
In fact, although V.League has only gone through the first round, with the many problems that Hanoi FC has been going through, fans have reason to worry.
If they want to prevent the lack of oil, the capital team needs to ensure their return to the winning track. In particular, the victory over Hoang Anh Gia Lai in round 2 at Hang Day Stadium is a mandatory task for Van Quyet and his teammates.
Opportunity to become a yourself
"We reviewed the loss to Ho Chi Minh City Police to learn from experience. That is the first step in preparing for the upcoming match. I heard the coach say many times. The team aims to win the championship to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its establishment", midfielder Willian Maranhao - a rookie of Hanoi FC shared.
The determination of Maranhao and Hanoi FC is well-founded, when their opponent in the next match is Hoang Anh Gia Lai. Like Hanoi FC, the team from the Mountain City lost their opening match against Becamex HCMC with a score of 0-3.
This defeat revealed the young strength and problems in preparing Hoang Anh Gia Lai's forces for this year's season. The departure of a series of key players such as Minh Vuong, Quang Nho, Ngoc Quang, Ly Duc... significantly reduced the strength of the home team at Pleiku Stadium.
Meanwhile, they also could not bring in contracts of equivalent qualifications to fill the void. Hoang Vinh Nguyen, the most notable name in Hoang Anh Gia Lai's transfer window, is just a young player. He himself could not bear the weight of the team that was falling behind in all aspects.
Transfermarkt transfer site also released a statistic that disappointed Hoang Anh Gia Lai fans. Along with Hai Phong FC, they are one of two teams that have decreased in value after parting ways with many famous players.
At least, for the Hai Phong team, after saying goodbye to Lucao, coach Chu Dinh Nghiem quickly brought in talented foreign players such as Joel Tagueu, Friday or Luiz Antonio. But for Hoang Anh Gia Lai, the strength of both foreign and domestic players is inferior to the V.League level.
It should be emphasized that, even when still in the hands of the optimal force, Hoang Anh Gia Lai is always a favorite opponent... of Hanoi FC. Playing at Hang Day Stadium has given the capital team more opportunities to transform.
After the match with Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Van Quyet and his teammates will face The Cong Viettel, Thanh Hoa and Da Nang. The leverage from positive results will help Hanoi FC be more confident when facing this uncomfortable opponent.
